Each year spinal cord injuries occur in contact sports such as football and wrestling. Many of these injuries could be prevented if the athlete had stronger muscles along the spinal cord. Prevention of spinal cord injuries is extremely important because these injuries often result in paralysis. One of the areas of the spinal cord which is susceptible to injury is the cervical area of the spine which resides between the shoulders and the skull. During collisions in football or during a fall or collision in any sport, the head can be snapped or over extended in relation to the body resulting in spinal cord injury and possible paralysis from the neck down.
Many have created exercising machines and methods for the neck and portions of the spine. For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,393 by Kusch and U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,836 by Casali provided an outer ring member with radial members pulling on all sides of a headgear. Other concepts such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,437 by Brooks uses the ring and two radial members connected to a pulley and a weight. Prior art devices fail to be widely accepted by athletes, trainers and weight programs for numerous reasons. One reason is the difficulty for individuals to get into and out of the exercise machine. Set up time for height and tension and head size adjustment all detract from the usability of the machine. Often, athletic teams working out together wherein, each athlete moves from exercise machine to exercise machine at timed intervals (referred to as circuit training). In this setting athletes only have a short time to exercise at a machine. If a particular machine requires too much set up time it cannot be used efficiently in circuit training. If a user is required to make numerous and/or precise adjustments to an exercise machine the setup becomes too much hassle and athletes will not use the machine. In order for a machine to be useful, the machine must be easily adjustable for users of all sizes. For example, a small youth and a three hundred and seventy five pound pro football player should be able to use the same machine. Other problems in the prior art include inadequate hygiene. Most prior art have a headgear which is made from leather or rigid plastic and these materials can cause cuts or abrasions to the skin where the head gear contacts the users head. The head gear in the prior art head often slides on the users skin making a work out uncomfortable. Additionally, the contact surfaces of the head gear is often not cleanable or sanitary. Another problem with prior art devices is that the resistance provided by the machine during exercise is un-damped and does not provide a fluent and responsive motion. Additionally, in prior art devices the head gear slides on the exerciser's head during exercise causing discomfort and an awkward feeling. The prior art falls short and is less than perfect in many respects.